1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hand-held plates of the type used at parties, picnics and other gatherings, and more particularly to a food plate having a first aperture through which a beverage container partially extends and a second aperture for receiving the thumb of a person holding the plate to facilitate gripping the lower portion of the beverage container and holding the plate and beverage container as a unit.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Hand-held plates of the type used at parties, picnics and other gatherings, which allow the user to hold a plate and carry a beverage container on the plate are known in the art.
Most of these prior art food plates merely support the lower portion of the beverage container on a flat-bottomed surface or inside a shallow depressed compartment. Some prior art plates allow a person to grip the exterior surface of the beverage compartment. However, prior art plates of the type that support the lower portion of the beverage container on a flat-bottomed surface or inside a shallow depressed compartment still allow relative movement between the beverage container and the plate, even if the user is gripping the compartment that holds the beverage container. Thus, the beverage container can tip over, or become accidently dislodged from the plate.
There are several patents which disclose various hand-held plates of the type used at parties, picnics and other gatherings, that allow the user to hold a plate and carry a beverage container on the plate.
Harper, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,396 discloses a combined plate and glass holder having a flat bottom with a short arcuate wall defining a beverage glass receiving compartment. A thumb receiving aperture is formed between the outer edge of the plate and the beverage container compartment for receiving the thumb of a user's hand. The bottom of the glass is supported on the tip surface of the plate and surrounded by the short arcuate wall. The user's thumb is received in the thumb aperture and pressed against a glass supported in the glass compartment and the underside of the plate is supported on the fingers. Thus, the user can only press against side of the beverage glass with the thumb. Because the beverage container is supported on the top side of the plate, the plate with the beverage container supported thereon would be top heavy. Thus, if the arm of the person holding the plate is bumped or jostled, the beverage container can accidentally tip over or become dislodged from the shallow compartment.
Task, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,331 discloses a combination plate for food, drink, and utensils that includes a cup-shaped beverage container compartment depending from the underside of the plate which has a bottom surface. The bottom of the beverage container is supported on the bottom surface of the cup-shaped beverage compartment. There is no thumb aperture and the user holds the plate by gripping the outer surface of the cup-shaped beverage compartment with his or her cupped hand. Thus, the user cannot grip or hold the actual beverage container, and if the arm of the person holding the plate is bumped or jostled, the beverage container can accidentally become dislodged from the beverage container compartment.
Doty, U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,297 discloses a food and beverage snack tray having a flat bottom and an inclined peripheral side wall with a short arcuate wall defining a beverage container receiving compartment at one corner. A pair of slots are formed in the side walls adjacent to the corner for receiving the thumb and index finger of a user's hand to grasp a beverage container supported in the beverage container receiving compartment. Because the beverage container is supported on the top side of the plate, the plate with the beverage container supported thereon would be top heavy. Thus, if the arm of the person holding the plate is bumped or jostled, the beverage container can accidentally tip over or become dislodged from the shallow compartment.
Van de Graff, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,910 discloses a rectangular party plate having a thumb receiving aperture near one end and a dish-shaped beverage container compartment. The user inserts the thumb through the thumb aperture and supports the plate on the forearm. Van de Graff. Jr., does not teach gripping of the beverage container or the beverage container compartment. Even if the user could grip the beverage container compartment, the bottom of the beverage container is supported on the bottom surface of the dish-shaped beverage compartment, and if the arm of the person holding the plate is bumped or jostled, the beverage container can accidentally tip over or become dislodged from the dish-shaped beverage compartment.
Torkelson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,077 discloses a hand-held plate that includes a shallow beverage compartment having a bottom surface with a raised peripheral edge, and a thumb aperture through which the user inserts a thumb for gripping the plate. The bottom of the beverage container is supported on the bottom surface of the shallow beverage compartment. Although the user can grip the plate, there is no way that the user can grip the beverage container. Because the beverage container is supported on the top side of the plate, the plate with the beverage container supported thereon would be top heavy. Thus, if the arm of the person holding the plate is bumped or jostled, the beverage container can accidentally tip over or become dislodged from the shallow compartment.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a food plate for containing food and supporting a beverage container wherein the plate and beverage container are held together as a unit by one hand of a person. The food plate has a flat top surface and at least one depression formed therein for containing a food item. A first aperture formed in the plate is sized and shaped to allow passage of a beverage container partially therethrough and engage a mid portion of the beverage container such that the center of gravity of the container is even with or below the top surface of the plate and the lower portion of the container exterior is exposed on the underside of the plate. A second aperture formed in the plate adjacent to the first aperture is sized and shaped to receive the thumb of the person's hand from the underside of the plate. The person's hand is cupped around the exposed lower portion of the beverage container with the fingers gripping the exterior surface of the container, the plate is supported on the top of the cupped hand, and the tip of the thumb is selectively placed against the top surface of the plate or against the upper portion of the beverage container to securely hold the plate and the beverage container together as a single unit. In a preferred embodiment, the beverage container aperture is surrounded by circumferentially spaced tabs extending downwardly from the top surface and biased angularly inward in a radial direction to engage the side wall of the beverage container.